As is known in the art, automobile designs are governed by a variety of ergonomic and operational factors. For doors and other such components, the design is generally based on ergonomic factors such as exterior appearance, and the location and visibility of hinges, latches and adjacent components, and operational factors such as the ingress/egress opening provided, the maximum clearance required for opening/closing a door, and crash performance.
For pick-up trucks, sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and other such vehicles which are designed to accommodate ingress/egress of several passengers and also provide means for transport of large goods, the ingress/egress opening and maximum clearance required for opening/closing a door can be of particular importance. For example, a pick-up truck having front and back driver/passenger doors may include a C-pillar mounted rear door which pivots relative to the C-pillar in a similar manner as the A-pillar mounted front door to thus provide a relatively large and unobstructed ingress/egress opening without the intermediate B-pillar. Due to the large size, in particular the door length (width when open), of a typical pick-up truck, driver/passenger ingress/egress can become particularly restrictive, if not impossible, if a vehicle is parked adjacent to the truck and is sufficiently close to prevent a person from boarding or loading to enter the area between the front and rear doors (when open), invariably known as parking lot entrapment. A typical truck with front and back (rear) doors will include a B-pillar mounted rear door, which pivots relative to the B-pillar in a manner similar to the A-pillar mounted front door. This design does not suffer to the same extent from parking lot entrapment, but is still restricted as regards ingress/egress due to limitations of the door opening when parked adjacent to other vehicles.
In an effort to address such parking lot entrapment concerns, a host of sliding or articulating rear door designs, such as the design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,039 to Kohut, have been proposed.
Specifically, referring to FIGS. 1-11 of Kohut, Kohut discloses pivot and slide door system (20) having pivot assembly (60) to pivot door (36) outward from a closed position disposed within door opening (26) to a pivot position spaced from vehicle body (24). Pivot assembly (60) includes a pair of lower arms (64) pivotally attached to support member (62). Lower arms (64) have one end disposed within channel (65) of support member (62) and are attached to support member (62) by pin (66). Pivot assembly (60) includes at least one upper arm (68), aligned with front lower arm (64). Upper arm (68) extends laterally and is pivotally connected to support strap (70) by pin (72). Pivot and slide door system (20) includes lower slide assembly (76), connected to lower arms (64) to allow door (36) to slide rearward to allow ingress/egress via door opening (26). Lower slide assembly (76) includes lower track (78) extending longitudinally along a lower portion of door (36). Upper slide assembly (96), connected to upper arm (68), includes upper track (98) extending longitudinally along an upper portion of door (36). Interlock assembly (110) is used to lock and release lower slide assembly (76) to lower pivot assembly (60) to prevent and allow door (36) to slide fore/aft. Interlock assembly (110) prevents door (36) from moving in a fore/aft direction before lower pivot assembly (76) has moved to its fully open rotational position.
Thus, while pivot and slide door system (20) of Kohut provides for articulating and sliding movement of door (36), system (20) and especially interlock assembly (110) nevertheless are relatively complex in design, and thus susceptible to failure. As system (20) is illustrated for use with a single car door, Kohut does not discuss whether door (36) is pivotally operable with a vehicle having a front door.
It would therefore be of benefit to provide a mechanism for permitting opening and closing of both a C-pillar mounted, rear-hinging rear door, and a conventional B-pillar mounted rear door with or without a front door being opened, with the mechanism including a minimal number of components for facilitating manufacture, assembly and operation of the overall mechanism and adjacent components.